Livni: We have opportunity to advance political solution in Gaza

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni told Ynet on Sunday that Israel now has an opportunity to advance a political solution. "We need change in Gaza. It could be through international agreements which discuss demilitarization and the return of (Palestinian leader) Abu Mazen to the Strip."

Livni, a Security Cabinet member, reiterated the position taken at a weekend cabinet meeting on Hamas. "You want to talk about lifting the blockade? Not with us and not at this time."

Livni, who serves as Israel's chief negotiator with the Palestinians stressed that "there is an opportunity for political change not with Hamas but against Hamas."

"We did not reach the targets of the operation because we took care of a secondary objective and that's the tunnels. The central threat is the missiles and the leadership of Hamas, which have not been hit," said Minister Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beiteinu) to Ynet.

"In the next round, the Hamas leadership will have no disincentive to build new tunnels and rearm. Next time there will many more missiles with larger warheads, chemical weapons, and anti-aircraft measures."

According to Landau, "the IDF's power of deterrence has been dramatically diminished. Twenty-six days of the IDF hitting (Gaza) hard and it has not successfully dealt with Hamas. I hope the withdrawal is tactical; the question is whether we look at this round as another bout or as the final bout."